Shades of Stars (Lola Pink Mysteries Book 2)

by Gina LaManna

  By the time late afternoon arrived, the pub had been transformed into a quaint space dripping with fairy lights. The oak barrels that served as cocktail tables were draped with dainty white linens, and an army of servers in smart black suits waited in the wings to begin serving appetizers the second our first guest arrived.

  Big Richard himself stood behind the thick stone bar, ready to serve guests their choice of Guinness, whiskey, or cider, and a variety of tap beers. It might not be the most elegant or sophisticated setup this crowd had ever seen, but it would most certainly be different. The magical old-Irish feel to the place might even help to loosen the guests up after their normal high-brow society events.

  Either way, the venue had to be good enough. Time was running out, and we’d have to make do with what we had at this point. A sudden bout of nerves nearly crippled me as I glanced at my watch. Guests were due to arrive in an hour, and I had yet to go home and wash away the day’s grime and hard work that had accumulated on my body.

  I also needed some rest, but that would have to wait. Though the scratches on my arms had healed to nice pinkish colors, the weariness from the incident with Ryan hadn’t yet left my bones. His face still plagued me in nightmares now and again as he hung there, preparing to fall to his death—nightmares that I kept to myself.

  I had sent Babs home earlier to shower and change so she could return and take responsibility for greeting the earliest guests in case I hadn’t made it back in time. The second she walked through the door in a stunning gold-streaked dress, I gave her a peck on the cheek and hustled home to the castle in a low-profile car borrowed from Dane’s collection.

  I was in and out of the spaceship shower in record time, relieved beyond belief to find that Mrs. Dulcet had gone shopping for me. I’d forgotten entirely about the fact that I’d be required to wear a ball gown along with the guests, and the butler must have anticipated the lack of foresight on my part.

  I found the dress hanging on a stand in the closet, a bit brighter and bolder than I’d normally have chosen, but perfect nonetheless. A vibrant shade of red, it draped softly over my shoulders as it slid down my body and extended all the way to my toes. An elegant lace pattern decorated the top, so subtle it’d be hardly noticeable under the dim bar lighting, but in the brightness of the bedroom, it gave an added depth to the gown that made it breathtaking.

  I added a small necklace that swept gently into the slight ‘V’ in the neckline, and a pair of tiny diamond earrings that Dane had given me on one of our earliest encounters. I couldn’t help but smile at my reflection as I fastened them in place.

  The knock on the door startled me. A quick glance at the clock told me that the visitor would be forced to keep things brief because I had less than twenty minutes to be back at the gala before the party was truly underway.

  Pulling the door open, I was shocked to come face to face with none other than Dane Clark himself. He stood at the door to his own bedroom, his face white as a ghost, his hands secured tightly behind his back.

  “Dane? What’s wrong?” I reached for him and pulled him into the room. “Why do you look like you’ve seen the ghost of Clark Castle?”

  “There’s no such thing,” he muttered as he breezed past me.

  I raised my eyebrows, realizing he was in quite a mood if he’d missed a joke that obvious. “Okay, sure. What’s eating you, Gilbert Grape?”

  He raised an eyebrow as if to ask who Gilbert might be, then a flicker of something appeared on his face, and he let it pass. Instead, his eyes settled on me, finally seeing me, and a smile tugged his lips upward. “You look sensational, Lola. You are the most gorgeous woman I could have ever dreamed of meeting.”

  “You like it?” I asked, giving him a little twirl. “Mrs. Dulcet did an amazing job shopping for me.”

  “It’s not the dress.” Dane’s eyes never left my face. “It’s you.”

  I stopped my indulgent twirling, my breath catching in my throat as my airway nearly closed off. “Dane, what are you doing?”

  He’d reached into his pocket then bent at the knee, his fingers trembling over the black box in his hands. When his hooded eyes flicked up to mine, he’d grown even paler, if possible. “I’ve never done this before,” he stuttered, looking mystified at his own hands. “I’m shaking.”

  I couldn’t stop the nervous giggle that bubbled over. “Well, you only have to do this once.”

  My laugh shook him from the hazy funk in which he’d been drowning, and it drew out the confident, formal Dane I loved. His fingers slowly steadied, and as he reached for my hand, his eyes raised to meet mine. They were blue, so blue and so filled with love. “You look gorgeous tonight, Lola, but I’m hoping you are missing something.”

  It was my turn for my fingers to tremble and my heart to pound. I could hardly manage a nod.

  “This ring was my grandmother’s, and it’s maybe not as big as you’d like, but you once told me you preferred simple things. I know we’re not on top of a mountain or at an extravagant dinner,” he said with a slight pause, glancing at me for confirmation before continuing. “But this moment felt too private to share with anyone else.”

  Dane took a minute to steady himself, clearing his throat and giving an audible swallow before he let go of my hand, opened the box, and displayed a dazzling diamond that glittered under the first hints of starlight piercing through the windows.

  “Lola Pink, I know this is fast. I know we’ve only known each other for a short time, but I’ve never been more confident about anything in my whole life. I love you, and I want to begin our life together without wasting another minute apart.” He forced a smile, but it was nothing more than a nervous flicker. “Will you marry me?”

  “Oh, Dane, of course,” I said, falling into his arms the second after he slipped the ring onto my finger. “Of course, I will—I love you, Dane! You didn’t have to be so nervous.”

  “Thank God I never have to do that again.” Dane stood, sweeping me up with him as we stood. “I haven’t been able to put a full sentence together for days. Ever since I got the ring from my mother—”

  “Your mother knows?” I asked weakly. “And she parted with the ring...knowing you were proposing to me?”

  He gave a gentle smile, color finally returning to his tanned face, the blue in his irises popping against the healthy flush of his skin. “You’ll see her soon enough, tonight. I think you might be surprised.”

  “Oh, crap! The gala!” I glanced down at my ring in shock. “I almost forgot about it. Any chance we can skip it?”

  A look of concern fell over Dane’s face. “Are you not feeling well?”

  “I feel fine! I feel great! I just don’t want to leave. I want to climb in bed with you and curl up together for the night—and never leave. And just enjoy being together with...” I raised my head in awe. “My fiancé.”

  Amusement edged out the concern in Dane’s expression, then it darkened to something more basic. The same desire probably burning through my veins as I struggled to digest the reality that he would be mine forever, and I would be his.

  He took me in his arms, his hands sliding across the bare skin of my open-backed dress as he whispered into my ear. “What do you say we go show our faces at the party, then duck out early and get started on your plan?”

  I let my hands rest against his solid chest and tilted my chin up to confirm with a kiss. “Come on, fiancé. The quicker we get started, the sooner we get home.”

  “Are you going to let up with the fiancé bit?”

  “Nope,” I said with a grin. “It’s a limited time special—better use it while we have it.”

  Dane laughed, took my hand, and pulled me away from the bedroom while I floated behind him staring at my new bling. Contrary to what he’d said, the diamond was most certainly over a carat and ringed with two layers of halo. The thing was probably visible from Mars.

  “Are you sure you want me to have this?” I asked, tentative. “I mean, I could wear something cheap
er for daily use. I have a tendency to lose things, and this looks—no, it feels—expensive.”

  “It’s meant to be worn and enjoyed, not hidden,” Dane said with certainty. “This is the most reckless thing I have done—asking you to marry me just months after us meeting. You just might be rubbing off on me, Miss Pink. Be reckless, wear the ring.”

  I laughed at his obvious attempt at a joke. “Oh, I love you, Dane Clark.”

  Together, we climbed into Dane’s newest Ferrari. As we roared down the coast together, I wondered if my grandmother had known all along that by leaving behind a money pit and forcing me to face a mountain of problems, I’d summit the peak with a partner by my side and friends on my flanks.

  “I’ll be damned,” I said softly, glancing once again at the engagement ring and then matching it up against the light from the stars. “Dotty knew all along. Here, I thought she’d left me nothing but problems, but I think—in her own way—she was leading me to you.”

  Chapter 31

  THE PARTY WAS A SMASHING success.

  At first, I couldn’t say if that was a good thing or a bad thing, seeing as most of these charity style galas are an elegantly good time...not a wild, raging bash. But something about the setting—the sturdy Irish pub, the mouthwatering food, and the free-flowing beer turned the night into something one might call a rollicking good time.

  In the theme of a smashing success, a record amount of charity money was raised for Mrs. Clark’s organization. As guests steadily began to depart for the night, one by one they came over to where Dane and I had parked ourselves near Big Richard at the bar—a man far more eloquent than his son. The three of us received one compliment after another on the success of the evening.

  I’d even gotten three new job offers and one marriage proposal from a drunken banker who said if things fell through with Dane, I could give him a call. Dane stuck him in a cab with a little too much force, and I couldn’t say what sort of address he gave the taxi driver—but it wasn’t anything local.

  Annalise and Semi were one of the first couples to leave. Semi had the night off since we’d hired other security for the event, and I’m sure the two wanted to savor their free time together. Annalise looked beautiful in a sleek black gown, her hair knotted high on her head. She was as giggly as a school girl as she kissed me on the cheek and congratulated us once again before disappearing in a swirl of black fabric.

  Babs left shortly after her, claiming an early morning meeting. Since the next day was Sunday, I figured it was more of an excuse for a late-night visit to see Johnny than anything early the next morning, but I didn’t correct her. I gave her a sly wink, however, which she promptly ignored.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Babs said as she squeezed me tight. “And I sort of love Dane. You know, in the sisterly way—which is why I’m allowed to tell him off when he’s being dense. Lucky thing he seems to have forgiven me for the other day. I did apologize to him, I’ll have you know. I still claim intense emotional stress caused me to fly off the handle.”

  “I think he’s forgiven you,” I said with a laugh. “If anything, I think he appreciated your honesty.”

  “Good,” she said. “Because there’s a lot more where that came from. Speaking of honesty, did you know he asked Annalise and I for your hand in marriage?”

  “Really?”

  “Well, sort of. He’d been wandering around the path on the Sunshine Shore just in front of Shades of Pink, looking like a lost little puppy when I ran into him. He was wondering if you’d want your mother contacted before he asked for your hand in marriage—his words, not mine.” Babs laughed, then winked. “I told him that nah, you wouldn’t care so long as he asked us first. So, he did.”

  I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Dane. “I am a very lucky woman.”

  “And he’s a very lucky man.” Babs squeezed my shoulder. “You two make a lovely couple.”

  Dane and I hadn’t intended to stay until the end of the party, but most of the room had cleared out before we’d even considered leaving. The evening had been a pleasant blur, and I’d been able to spend just about all of it beside Dane. Plus, I’d been asked to show off my ring a million times, and I couldn’t get enough of it; I knew the excitement might simmer to a slow burn after a while, so I took advantage of flaunting it every time someone asked.

  Mr. and Mrs. Randall Clark sauntered over, somewhat hesitant, to gather their coats near the very end of the evening. As the coat check man disappeared to retrieve them from the rack in the back, Mr. Clark turned to us, offering us both a handshake and a succinct congratulations. I couldn’t tell if he was happy or sad or anything of the sort. If anything, he looked mildly amused at our engagement, as if he couldn’t quite believe it had really happened.

  I couldn’t say I blamed him.

  Mrs. Clark was more reserved in her approach, smiling first at my hand, then at Dane, before she turned the ghost of what was left on me. “I am sorry if we started off on the wrong foot,” she said. “I heard what you did to help our son with that horrible murder investigation.”

  “I didn’t do anything he wouldn’t have done for me.”

  “No, I suppose not,” she agreed. “But it seems you care about Dane a good deal more than I gave you credit for. I’m...pleased to see he’s found a woman sees him for who he is and not what he has.”

  It wasn’t quite a compliment, nor was it exactly approval, but it was a truce. I could handle a truce, and I was touched by the olive branch. “Thank you,” I said, and I meant it sincerely. “Was the gala to your satisfaction this evening?”

  A true smile finally cracked her features, and she nodded. “It was a smashing success. You really could specialize in event planning, I think, if you’re interested.”

  Now that was a compliment, and I glowed underneath it for the next half hour—long after the Clarks and the rest of the guests had left. Dane and I sat alone at the bar, resting in the peaceful quiet.

  “I think we need one more celebratory beer.” Richard appeared from behind the kitchen doors where he’d been helping prepare the food all evening. He looked satisfied and exhausted as he slung a few leftover drinks into plastic cups—ditching the fancy frosted mugs from the event and plopping them onto the table before us. “Lola, I want you to meet Stephanie. The Stephanie.”

  My head rested on Dane’s shoulder as my own tiredness had begun to creep in, but at the introduction, I struggled to a sitting position. “You’re the one-and-only Stephanie,” I said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Stephanie was a small, lovely woman with a quick smile, brown hair, and rich hazel eyes. Her laugh was airy and bright. She was shorter than Richard, and she outranked Richard on the looks scale by leaps and bounds.

  It wasn’t until she smiled at Richard that I saw it: love. The sort of love that can’t be explained in a paint-by-numbers picture or described in songs. It’s simply that inexplicable, all-consuming, senseless sort of love that I’d found with Dane.

  Stephanie leaned forward, lowered her voice, and winked. “Thank you,” she said with a whisper. “I didn’t mind the dead flowers or the boxed wine, but I did not want to shoot mini golf on a date.”

  I winked as Dane’s arm came around me and pulled me closer to him. “Believe me, I understand.”

  In the soft silence that followed, the four of us found ourselves smiling and chatting, easing into the next morning as the moonlight shone still brighter, and the waves lapped still louder against the shore.

  Finally, Richard raised a glass for the final speech of the evening. With a resounding Cheers! under the fairy lights, we all toasted to love and to Dotty Pink for bringing us together through her odd special talents.

  There are those who doubt Dotty’s skills, and those who flat out don’t believe in magic, but then there are those moments—fleeting, but certain and unforgettable—that lead one to believe it is all there...written in the stars.

  Shades
of the Stars!

  IN A SURPRISING TWIST of events, the brightest ‘star’ of the Sunshine Shore’s grand finale fashion show was neither a model nor a designer, but our very own budding shopkeeper, Lola Pink! Photographed with her new fiancé, Dane Clark, it wasn’t just the ring on her finger that dazzled the crowd, but her gorgeous collection of vintage sunglasses that stole the show. When asked for comment on the success of the event, Lola Pink said, “The real star of the show is Andrea Ricker, who was the real inspiration for the fashions. Without her, Regina and I would never have connected.” And when asked about her engagement to billionaire boyfriend Dane Clark, she giggled and declined comment—but I think it’s safe to say we’re due to see the wedding of the century sometime soon. Billionaire babies on the way? Stay tuned!

  —Glinda Bright of the Sunshine Times—

  THE END

  Author’s Note

  THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you enjoyed Lola and Dane as they solved mysteries and fell in love! Stay tuned for Shades of Sunshine coming soon! To be notified when it releases, please sign up for my newsletter at www.ginalamanna.com.

  Thank you for reading!

  Love,

  Gina

  Now for a thank you...

  To all my readers, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning.

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